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Guide to the Papers of Michael V. Simko BHC-MSS 0168
Summary Information
- Repository:
- Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library
- Creator:
- Simko, Michael V.
- Title:
- Papers of Michael V. Simko
- ID:
- BHC-MSS 0168
- Date [inclusive]:
- 1923-1988
- Physical Description:
- 2.92 Linear feet
- Language of the Material:
- English , Slovak .
- Abstract:
- Born on December 15, 1893, Michael V. Simko was a Bridgeport based podiatrist as well as a prolific writer. He wrote a prodigious amount of short stories, as well as two novels: White Birch Mystery and Mila Nadya which was influenced by Simko's experiences with the Bridgeport's Slovakian community, where Simko grew up.
Preferred Citation
Papers of Michael V. Simko (BHC-MSS 0168), Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library.
Biographical / Historical
Born on December 15, 1893, Michael V. Simko was a Bridgeport based podiatrist as well as a prolific writer. The son of Slovakian immigrants, Simko was born and raised in Bridgeport. His father was a grocer, and the family likely lived in Bridgeport's east side, where the Slovak community was based.
Simko received his podiatry credentials from the First Institute of Podiatry, New York in 1917. During World War I, he served as the chief camp podiatrist at Camp Devens, Massachusetts.
Active in both his professional and personal lives, Simko acted as the secretary for the Connecticut Board of Examiners in Podiatry among other posts, and was very involved with Slovak community activities. This includes time as the chairman of the Slovak league of American War Bonds Committee, the Bridgeport Slovak Alliance, and many more organizations. Simko was also involved with other civic organizations such as the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, and the American Association of Retired Persons. Despite working full time as a Podiatrist and engaging in numerous civic and cultural organizations, Simko manage to produce a prolific number of literary papers. In addition to extensive short stories and newspaper articles, Simko wrote two novels. The first was a short novel for boys called White Birch Mystery (1926), and he authored a longer novel called Mila Nadya (1968). Focused on a Slovakian immigrant named Nadya, the novel draws on the community that Simko grew up in and documents Nadya's life. The book's reception is not clear at this time.
Michael V. Simko married Rose Nasta. They had a son, Vincent, and daughter Rita Trudeau. Simko died on July 15, 1989 in Bridgeport.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains several drafts of Simko's second novel, Mila Nadya. The drafts are undated, and so an attempt has been made to determine draft order. Additional short stories, both in draft form and published formed are present. There are also newspaper articles Simko wrote, along with a smattering of podiatry related material.
Arrangement
Series I contains various drafts for Mila Nadya. None of them are dated, so effort has been made to determine draft order based on corrections between texts. The handwritten manuscript has been placed first. The synopsis sent to publishers, along with publication information and finances follow.
Series II contains short stories, as well as the short novel White Birch Mystery. It has been divided into three subgroups: individual pieces, and two sets of alphabetical files. The individual pieces are organized alphabetically by title. Many contain typescript drafts. An examination of the documents reveals that Simko appears to have kept two different alphabetical files of his published works for unknown reasons. Out of respect for original order, they have been maintained separately.
Series III contains newspaper pieces that Simko authored both for Bridgeport newspapers and Slovakian language papers. Series IV, other publications, contains a smattering of podiatry material.
Administrative Information
Publication Statement
Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library
Bridgeport History CenterBridgeport Public Library925 Broad StreetBridgeport, CT 06604Business Number: 203-576-7400 (Extension: #7)URL: https://bportlibrary.org/hc/
Immediate Source of Acquisition
1990.17
Controlled Access Headings
- Authors
- Authors, American--Archives
- Manuscript preparation (Authorship)
- Slovak Americans
- Slovak American newspapers
- Short stories, American
Bibliography
Hanley, Terence E. "Michael V. Simko (1893-1989)", Tellers of Weird Tales (2016.) Accessed October 21, 2021. https://tellersofweirdtales.blogspot.com/2016/01/michael-v-simko-1893-1989.html
Collection Inventory
Series I, Mila Nadya | |||
---|---|---|---|
Title/Description | Instances | ||
Handwritten copy of Mila Nadya, pages 1-751, undated | |||
Box 1 | folder 1-7 | ||
Manuscript pages 1-100, undated | |||
Box 1 | folder 8 | ||
Manuscript pages 101-473, undated | |||
Box 2 | folder 1-3 | ||
My Golden Nadya, pages 1-206, undated | |||
Box 2 | folder 4-5 | ||
Mila Nadya mss pages,1-300, undated | |||
Box 2 | folder 6-8 | ||
Mila Nadya mss pages,301-535, undated | |||
Box 3 | folder 1-2 | ||
Golden Nadya revised copy by Marie McCall, pages 1-168, undated | |||
Box 3 | folder 3-4 | ||
Corrected pages of Mila Nadya, undated | |||
Box 3 | folder 5 | ||
Synopsis and characters in Mila Nadya, undated | |||
Box 3 | folder 6 | ||
Synopsis of Mila Nadya, pages 1-168, 1948 | |||
Box 3 | folder 7-8 | ||
Contract, correspondence with Dorrance Co., 1966-1971 | |||
Box 4 | folder 1 | ||
Financials with Dorrance Co., 1967-1970 | |||
Box 4 | folder 2 | ||
Series II, Short stories | |||
Subseries 1, Individual pieces | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
"Angeles in Osanaka", 1953 | |||
Box 4 | folder 5 | ||
"The Guarding Skeleton", 1920 | |||
Box 4 | folder 6 | ||
"Little Girls in April"; "Wild FLowers for Sepulche", 1956 | |||
Box 4 | folder 7 | ||
"Luke Flies the Falcon", undated | |||
Box 4 | folder 8 | ||
"Prissy Priscilla", undated | |||
Box 4 | folder 9-10 | ||
"The Raven Patrol", undated | |||
Box 4 | folder 11 | ||
"The Single C Mystery", undated | |||
Box 4 | folder 12 | ||
"Teddy for Wee", undated | |||
Box 4 | folder 13 | ||
"Trooper Moyd With Custer" pages 2-100, undated | |||
Box 4 | folder 14 | ||
"Trooper Moyd with Custer" pages 101-163, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 1 | ||
"White Birch Mystery", c. 1926 | |||
Box 5 | folder 2 | ||
"Wings for Lucy", undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 3 | ||
Early stories, 1923-1955 | |||
Box 4 | folder 3-4 | ||
Subseries 2, First set of alphabetical files | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
A-B, 1984-1987, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 5 | ||
C-D, 1981-1987, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 6 | ||
E-F, 1971, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 7 | ||
G-H, 1971-1981, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 8 | ||
J-K, 1985, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 9 | ||
L-M, 1957-1960, undated | |||
Box 5 | folder 10 | ||
N-O, 1960-1984, undated | |||
Box 6 | folder 1 | ||
P-Q, 1983, undated | |||
Box 6 | folder 2 | ||
R-S, 1984-1987, undated | |||
Box 6 | folder 3 | ||
T-U, undated | |||
Box 6 | folder 4 | ||
V-W, 1986-1987, undated | |||
Box 6 | folder 5 | ||
X-Z, 1988 | |||
Box 6 | folder 6 | ||
Stories in E Glute, 1970-1974 | |||
Box 6 | folder 7 | ||
Published in the Sunday Herald, 1956-1957 | |||
Box 6 | folder 8 | ||
Slavic written stories, 1938-1939 | |||
Box 6 | folder 9 | ||
Subseries 3, Second set of alphabetical files | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
A-B, 1923-1935 | |||
Box 6 | folder 10 | ||
C-D, 1970-1980 | |||
Box 6 | folder 11 | ||
E-H, 1967-1968 | |||
Box 6 | folder 12 | ||
I-L, 1942-1968 | |||
Box 6 | folder 13 | ||
M-N, 1969 | |||
Box 6 | folder 14 | ||
P1925-1956 | |||
Box 6 | folder 15 | ||
Q-R, 1980-1981 | |||
Box 6 | folder 16 | ||
S-W, 1965-1970 | |||
Box 6 | folder 17 | ||
Series III, Newspaper pieces | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
A-B, 1969-1971 | |||
Box 6 | folder 18 | ||
C-D, 1925-1948 | |||
Box 6 | folder 19 | ||
E-H, 1933-1967 | |||
Box 7 | folder 1 | ||
I-L, 1921-1935 | |||
Box 7 | folder 2 | ||
M-P, 1929-1940 | |||
Box 7 | folder 3 | ||
Q-S,, 1939-1960 | |||
Box 7 | folder 4 | ||
T-Z, 1925-1936 | |||
Box 7 | folder 5 | ||
Series IV, Other publications | |||
Title/Description | Instances | ||
Podiatry publications, undated | |||
Box 7 | folder 6 | ||